The FDIC guarantees bank deposits of up to $250,000 — a figure most of us weren't thinking all that much about until a week ago, when regulators guaranteed all customer deposits, even those above a quarter-million dollars, at two failed banks.
Why it matters: Now lawmakers, academics, and some in the financial industry are debating whether the FDIC limit, which hasn't been raised since 2008, needs to be increased — or abolished altogether.